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Warning: This discussion contains spoilers for the fourth episode of Agatha All Along, “If I Can’t Reach You, Let My Song Teach You.”
The previous installment of “Agatha All Along” concluded with a significant cliffhanger. The witches were left with the body of Sharon/Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp), whom they failed to protect during the initial trial in the “Big Little Lies House of Poison” (unofficial name). With Sharon out of action, the coven agrees to summon a “backup green witch” to join their journey.
Enter Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), a warrior witch also known as the Green Witch. She is a long-standing (fren)enemy of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), and potentially one of the most formidable forces in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rio has already made her appearance this season, disguising herself as a federal agent while Agatha was under the impression that she was Detective Agnes O’Connor. Rio was there when Agatha gradually realized what Scarlet Witch had done to her, giving her the chance to drop her act and bring Agatha back to reality.
The History Between Rio and Agatha
Rio and Agatha share a deep history as witches, with Rio once threatening Agatha with a blade in a tantalizingly dangerous manner. Their battles are reminiscent of an episode of “Killing Eve,” with the action underscored by palpable sexual tension. When Rio finally cuts Agatha’s hand, she licks the blood and Agatha chokes her out. The writer’s room must have had some interesting experiences to come up with this. Rio promises not to kill a vulnerable Agatha, but she does vow that they will cross paths again when Agatha has regained her strength. Their relationship is a ticking time bomb, and it’s clear that Rio has a preference for Agatha “horizontally.”
Rio Vidal is driven by her wrath towards Agatha, a kind of vengeance that seems exclusive to someone who has shattered your life or heart. If the concluding moments of episode 4 are any indication, “Agatha All Along” might finally address one of Marvel’s most significant issues, unless they shy away from admitting that the tension between Rio and Agatha stems from their past as intimate partners, and I’m not referring to their roles as law enforcement agents.
Agatha’s Intimate Knowledge of Rio Vidal
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As the episode draws to a close, the coven gathers around the fire to share stories. Rio reveals to the group that she bears a scar, to which Agatha responds, “No, you don’t.” How could she know this unless she was intimately familiar with every inch of Rio Vidal’s body? Rio explains, “A long time ago, I loved someone and I had to do something I did not want to do, even though it was my job, and it hurt them. She is my scar.” As she narrates her story, she tries not to look at Agatha, but her eyes occasionally drift towards her. Agatha excuses herself to “stretch her legs,” and Rio follows her shortly after. Alone and away from the eyes of the coven, the two share a tender moment, with Agatha cradling Rio’s face in her hands.
Agatha leans in for a kiss, but Rio stops her to say, “That boy isn’t yours,” referring to the Teen (Joe Locke), who is hinted at as possibly being Agatha’s deceased son, Nicholas Scratch. Agatha pauses, smiles, and leaves Rio alone in the forest. Yes, the cliffhanger from a story perspective is that Rio leaves the audience with even more questions about the Teen and why someone would place a sigil on his identity. But the real suspense is whether “Agatha All Along” will allow Agatha and Rio to share a kiss.
At the series premiere’s red carpet event, Variety asked Plaza about rumors that this would be the “gayest project Marvel has ever done.” She responded, “It will be a gay explosion by the end of it.”Â
I’m not here to doubt someone as well-loved as Aubrey Plaza, but I’ve danced this dance with Marvel before. When I was first promised “the first openly gay character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” I was given straight director Joe Russo in a cameo scene at a group therapy session talking about going on a date with a man for the first time in five years after the Blip. I don’t care how much “Grieving Man” likes baseball and misses his man, that is not gay representation.
The Need for Queer Representation in Agatha All Along
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“Agatha All Along” is inherently queer, as witches have always been seen as such. The cast is filled with individuals who are seen as icons by the queer community (HELLO, PATTI LUPONE!). Joe Locke’s Teen character is undoubtedly queer, but we haven’t seen him with a romantic partner. Of course, queer people don’t stop being queer if they’re single or asexual, but failing to depict queer love, joy, or intimacy denies queer people the chance to see that reflected on screen, a privilege straight people never have to worry about.
Allowing characters to be queer, both canonically and textually, can genuinely change lives. This is true for one of the show’s stars. “Saturday Night Live” alum and “Agatha All Along” co-star Sasheer Zamata recently told Them that she discovered she’s a late-in-life-lesbian, and playing numerous queer roles contributed to this realization.
“I kept getting cast as queer women. I played a lesbian on ‘Home Economics.’ I played a lesbian on ‘Woke.’ I played a lesbian on ‘Tuca & Bertie.’ A lesbian on ‘Last O.G.’ I kept getting these roles. And this was before I myself was figuring out my identity. I was like, ‘Whoa, what are these casting directors seeing that I’m not seeing?'”
Zamata joked that “Hollywood turned her gay,” but anyone with a bit of sense knows that’s not the case. Zamata was always gay, but playing these characters helped her see a possibility for her own life that she hadn’t previously considered. That’s the beauty of film and television — they offer insights into worlds beyond our own experiences and show us that we don’t have to accept the roles we were born into.Â
“Agatha All Along” may be a fun show about witches in a world where superheroes exist, but it’s also a chance for Marvel to fully embrace campy queerness. Bigots already label the show as “too woke” for simply being a women-led series with a diverse cast, so why worry about the opinions of those who aren’t even watching the show? The people who are watching “Agatha” are already comfortable with queerness, so there’s no reason for Marvel and Disney+ to not fully embrace it.
The Skepticism Surrounding Queer Representation
